U.S. 48 Star Flag - Ensign of U.S.S. Hydrus.
This wool ensign was acquired as naval surplus in California. It has been identified as an ensign from the U.S.S. Hydrus, an attack cargo vessel named after the southern constellation Hydrus. For 15 months, she served in the Pacific as a commissioned ship in the US Navy during WWII. After the war, she returned to the West Coast in 1945 before being re-commissioned as a New York State Training Academy Ship, TS Empire State II. In this regard, the ship sailed during a 10-year career as a training ship for prospective maritime officers. In June 1956, the ship was allocated to the Maritime Commission's National Defense Reserve Fleet. She remained there until being sold for scrap in April of 1964 to Union Minerals & Alloys Corp., of New York.

This ensign is typical of the 48 star wool flags that were mass-produced for the war effort. It is estimated that thousands of similar ensigns were issued to US ships, but in time, identifying specific flags with specific ships becomes more difficult.

Provenance:
USS Hydrus, 1944-1945.
Purchase by Zaricor Flag Collection, J&S Milkitary Surplus, Moss Landing, CA., 1999.



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